Toiletry appliance



May 8, 1945. J. GERMANOTTA TOILETBY APPLIANCE Filed April 12, 1944 and'fro, as between the person Patented May 8,1 1945,r

12,375,643 C a a {ronQETRYnPPLINCEQ l u John Germanotta, Milwaukee, Wis. a Application Aprilia 1944, serial No. 530,690 f f "soiaima, etsii- 17) 'This invention `relates to improvements in toiletry` appliances, having for `an object 'to pro--` vide a device particularly advantageousfor use by professional beauticians, hairdressers, etc., so constructed and designed as `to `,provide a universally adaptable, convenient and mostpractical means, in immediate proximity to the headof a person l being Worked upon byjthe artisan, upon which preparations, implements and 1 appurtenances, normally lused and `being used during such work,

may `be received and satisfactorily supported` thereon; hencamate'rially facilitating the carryinguoutofthe `workand eliminatingthat loss of timeusually incurred under `those working condis `tions'where the operator is required to -place his showing thefarrangement and formationof the Vtray feet, the 4rearward hinged leg and theadlustable check; l l 4 Figure 2 is aside elevationofthe samein'opershownkin `dotted lines, and l ative `position upon a lperson, the' latter 5 being Figure 3 is a transversesection,` taken on the line3-3 of Figure Y1, looking` in the vdirectiontin which the arrowsgpointp u l e Having moreparticular reference to the draw-` ing,` in` connection with which like charactersof equipment and materials ,upon ,tables or` other l articles'of "furniture, andfto` carryv the same to l ,a lMoreovenit is@ anpbject of the invention to provide a device 4of` the statedlcharacter capable of being `firmly supported uponlthe body of a person being `Worlred upon Without annoyance,` inconvenience or discomfort to or of such perand saidfurniture.v

son, and when desired, may be `quclrlyand safely removed.` a ,y l t l Anotherobject of the invention isnto provide a toiletryaccessory receiving and supporting tray which generallypwill. be self-adjusting to that particular portion of a persons body receiving the same, andjtoo,V may havethe supporting means provided thereto, iurtheradjusted in certainunf l usual instancesof usage whereby tolinsure its poysi-` tion inan approximately horizontal plane; consequently, assuringthe secure retention of matters and devices placed thereupon `against accidental "or undesired displacement.`

The invention furthermoreaimsto "providea device that, 'by reason of its placement upon or with relation to a person being worked upon by a user of the same, will localize the incident labor, and hence, effect aminimizing of effort and `time expendituref"` The foregoing, `as Well as other objects, "advan tages and meritorious teachings of the invention, will be in part obvious and in` part pointed out in the following detailed disclosure thereof, when with" the `aceornpaifiying drawing, `itlbeing understoodthat the particular taken"` in conjunction form ofthe invention presented herein is a precise and, what is now considered to be, the best modeof embodyingits principles, but that modil cations and changes may be made in specific embodiments, without departing from its essential `features.,` l Y, l

In the drawingzg l l l, ligure 1 islas top view of my improved device ative` position,

reference will l designateA corresponding` y parts throughout, the improved deviceA may be stated to comprise a yoke-shaped or substantially `Ll-sliaped trayf body l constructed of suitable `materiaLas for example, composition matters, metal, plastics, a

wood,- etc.` The normally upper side of the tray body is dished throughout its area, as indicated at` `2, thus providing substantially upstanding bordering Walls entirely thereabout;I The inner-side or portion ofthe tray bodyfmay be and preferably is l so shaped as `to substantially conform` to the `curvature oi. the `back and sides of alpersons neck, whereby to effect its comparatively snug and l embracing engagement thereabout `when in operas is hereinafter morefullydescribed.

To support 'the` tray body lV in a substantially l horizontal plane upon the shoulders of a `person and in embracing engagement about h'er neck, the free end :portions of the Aopposite legs `or branchesof the tray bodyare provided with feet 3, appropriatelysecured tothe 4under-sides of such body. The feet are of complementalconstruction or `formation` and size, having rearwardly inclined normally rearward sides 4,` and their normally rearward and inner side'fportions `curved upon l themselves to eliminate the 'presence of any and all corners or sharp angles which,` when engaged with adjacent portions of the personvs body, might cause some discomfort;` Moreoven because" of the described inclined and curved formationwof` the referred to portions of said `feet, it' will "be understood and appreciated thatusaid portions will bemore or lessself-adapting to `thos-e parts of a persons body adjacent toor engaged by the same. The normally rearward or basalkportion oi` the tray body `I has a substantially transversely disposed hinge mounting block or likeelernent 5` fixed to `its corresponding under-side portion,A which block,`in` turn, has a'supporting leg 6 straphinged theretdas at 1'. Itwillbe noted,1in this connectionythatythe upper portionoftthe thus hingedly,mounted` leg (i has bearing engagement upon` theadiacent `and substantially `:dat side of the `mountingblock 5, and" therefore, thatfunder certain conditions of usage or positioning, will be retained in a position at substantially right angles to the adjacent part of the tray body I. The length of this supporting leg B, as will be seen, uponreference to the accompanying drawing, is greater than the depth of the several feet 3, in that the feet 3 will normally rest upon adjacent portions of a persons chest and the leg li will have supporting engagement, at a lower point, with a portion of such Vpersons back. This is more or less necessary to insure the supporting of the tray body I in a substantially horizontal plane with respect to the head of the referred to person, In some instances, because of different physical characteristics of people, it may become necessary to adjust the positioning of the hinged supporting leg B, i. e., saidl leg to have proper supporting engagement with a part of .the persons back, may needl be swung slightly inwardly, and when in vsuch inwardly swung position, must be locked or blocked against outward swinging movement from the back. To effect v such adjustment and securing of the hinged leg 6 in the referred to adjusted position, whereby to insure its proper functioning for retaining the tray body I-in the above-mentioned substantially horizontal plane, I provide a wedge-like lock or check 8 adapted to enter between the flattened rearward side of the mounting block 5 and the adjacent upper portion of the leg 6. Obvi-` ously, the extent of longitudinal engagement or introduction of said wedge-like check 8 between the mounting block 5 and said portion of the supporting leg 6 will vary the outward limitation of hinged or pivotal movement of said leg 6 with respect to the tray body I, and hence, will vassure the effectual retention of the lower por. tion of the hinged leg 6 in engagement with an adjacent part of a persons back. To mount the wedge-like check 8in slidable and operative position with respect to the mounting block 5 and leg 6, I may and preferably do provide the normally outer end of such check with a .shank 9 slidably received in a bracket or fitting l0 xedly mounted upon all appropriately adjacent portion of the under-side of the tray body^| and provided with a laterally extending handle or finger piece II wherebyv sliding motion, to the desired extent or degree, may be impartedv to the check, for those reasons above indicated.

'I'he dished normally upper surface of the tray body I may, of course, have its bottom either curved or flat, such as conditions or preference may dictate. Also, said tray body is formed with receptacle receiving openings I2 in proximity to the free end portions of its opposite branches or legs. These openings flushly communicate with pockets or wells, of appropriate depths formed in each of the aforesaid supporting feet 3. The openings I2 formed in the free end portions of the tray body I may be surrounded by shouldered portions I3 in order to provide suitable blocks or baffles to prevent the unwanted or undesired dropping of various accessories received upon the tray body I into openings I2 and the wells of the several feet 3, i. e., when the same are not receiving receptacles or cups, such as indicated by the numeral I4.

In usage of my improved toiletry appliance, the yoke-like tray body 2 is forwardly engaged with or about the neck of a person so that such persons neck is, more or less, snugly received 'within the loop-like inner portion of the tray b ody.' The tray body is supported in a substantlally horizontal position about said persons neck by reason of the fact that the now forwardly disposed feet 3 thereof will have self-adapting or self-adjusting engagement with the adjacent portions of the` persons chest. With the tray so i positioned, the hingedly mounted leg 6- is-now so positioned with respect to the tray body I as to-have its free end firmly though comfortably engaged with an adjacent portion of such persons back. At this point, the wedge-like check 8 is so adjusted with respect` to the mounting block 5 of the adjacent portion of theleg 6 as to limit its outward swinging movement with respect to the tray body I, in the manner hereinabove described. With the trayl thus engaged or mounted upon or from the shoulders of the person, it will be observed that the inclined normally rearward portions 4 of the` feet 3 and the leg 6 will function to securely though comfortably clamp or lock the tray body in a satisfactory operative position and against undesirable shifting movement with respect to such persons body during and lthroughout the period of usage thereof. To disengage or remove the appliance from a persons shoulders, it need only be lifted slightly and then rearwardly moved, in a substantially horizontal position, so as to become disengaged from its previous embracing relationship with respect to the persons neck.

Various devices, implements'materials or accessories, obviously, can and will be received `and supported upon the tray body I during that period of its usage when supported upon a person in the manner above described," A mostl convenient usage of the improved device will be found in thoseinstances where a beautician is engaged in the dyeing of a persons hair, in that dye holding containers I4 (one or more) may bereceived within the openings I2 and the wells of for usage in the dressing of a persons hair, during which time the .operator may place. his implements, hair pins, etc., upon the dished portion of the tray body I, rather than being required to walk to and fro as between `the person and articles of furniture normally used to receive or support such devices, materials 'or accessories. Y

It is,.as will be readily understood, quite desirable that the tray body 2 and its feet 3 be constructed of rugged though light material. Various composition matters will serve or suit such constructional requirements.

1. A device of the character described, comprising a yoke-like tray, body engaging supports on the normally under sides of the opposite extremities of said tray, and movable supporting means on another portion of the tray spaced from the first mentioned supports co'operab1e with the body engaging supports.

2. A device ofthe character described, comprising ayoke-like tray, feet having curved body engaging portions connected to the normally under-sides and forward extremities of said tray, and adjustable supporting means on said normally under-side of the tray adjacent the normally rearward portion thereof.

l3. A device of the character described, comprising a neck embracing tray having its normally forward side open, feet connected to the normally under-side of said tray adjacent its forward extremities having their free portions shaped to be body conforming, and adjustable r supporting means onthe normally under-side of the tray adjacent its rearward from said feet.

4. A device of the character described; comportionand spaced prising a substantially `U-shaped tray, feet x` i edly connectedto the normally under-side andi normally forward extremities of said tray, the;`

exposed portions of said feet being shapedto have substantially ushbearing contact with the adjacent portions of` apersons body, and adfustable supporting means on the normally under-side of` said trayadjacent its normally rear]- ward portion. 1 5. Adevice of the character described, com-1- prising a substantially U-shaped tray, feet carried upon the normally under-side of said tray in proximity to the free extremities of` its'oppo! site sides, each of said feet having curved extremithe first mentioned supports, the normally upper side `of said` tray having openings therein communicating with openings in each of said body engaging supports, and portions surrounding said normally uptray `openings, extending above the per side of said tray. i

7. A deviceof the character described, com-` prising a, substantiallyU-shaped tray, feet carried by the normally under-side of said tray in proximity to the `outer extremities of `its opposite sides, the ends of each said `feet being curved `and the normally inner sides of said feet being prising` substantially U-shaped tray, feet having ties and obliquely disposed inner side contiguous` with said curved extremities of the same, and

`adjustable supporting means carried on the normally under-side of vsaid, tray adjacent its basal portion. i 6. A device of the character described, comprising a yoke-like tray, body engaging supports on portions of said tray,`movable supporting means on another portion of the tray spaced from i and means engageable with the curved extremities and obliquely formed inner sides, carried bythe normally under-side of the tray inproximity to the free ends of the oppo- `site sides thereof, a leg hingedly connected to p the normally under-side of saidtray adjacent its basal portion'and` intermediately of` said feet, hingedportion of said leg for limiting the extent of its swinging movement with respect to the tray.

JOHN GERMANOTML 

